Six identity designs by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, are included in the recently released book LogoLounge Master Library, Volume 2: 3000 Animal and Mythology Logos. The volume, produced by the web presence LogoLounge and Rockport Publishers, features over 3000 logo design examples from around the world.

The selected logos include images for the triangle productions! theatrical presentation When Pigs Fly, Portland company Black Dog Furniture Design and a Fall Thesis celebration for Reed College. One of the designer's first logo creations, created for the Chinese Student Association while a student at the University of Oregon, is also highlighted in the new volume. In addition, designs for greeting card firm Good Pig, Bad Pig and a multi-award winning concept for the Cat Adoption Team are featured.

Fisher, a 30+ year design industry veteran, is the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. He is currently writing the book LogoType, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release of late 2010.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 140 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

AIGA Colorado
October 6, 2010 • Denver, CO
Topic: TBD

Willamette Writers Conference
August 6-8, 2010 • Portland, OR
Topic: If I don't "toot!" my horn no one else will

CEDIM
2010 Summer Stars CEDIM
June 21-25, 2010 • Monterrey, Mexico
Topic: The Social Media Bible

Bismarck State College
ArtsQuest
April 20-22, 2010 • Bismarck, ND
Topic: Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself

AIGA Idaho
Student Event
April 16, 2010 • Boise, ID
Topic: Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself

AIGA Idaho
Member Event
April 15, 2010 • Boise, ID
Topic: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success

Columbia College Chicago
iChat Lecture Series
April 12, 2010
Topic: Tootin' Your Own Horn!

HOW Magazine Live DesignCast
February 18, 2010
Topic: Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool

HOW Magazine Live DesignCast
November 23, 2009
Topic: How to Survive as a Freelance Designer

HOW Magazine Live DesignCast
August 31, 2009
Topic: Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself

RGD Ontario
Design Business Teleseminar
July 7, 2009
Topic: Tooting Your Own Horn!

2009 HOW Design Conference • Austin, TX
June 24-27, 2009
Topic: Why pay for something you can get for free
Panel: Surviving and thriving in a bad economy

Healthcare Communicators of Oregon • Eugene, OR
June 5, 2009
Topic: No-cost, or low-cost, marketing through social networking

RGD Ontario
Design Business Teleseminar
March 31, 2009
Topic: Packaging Yourself

Working Artists Network Roundtable • Portland, OR
March 29, 2009
Topic: Meet Me on Facebook - Artists & Creatives Who Successfully Use Social Media Marketing to Move Their Business Forward (Panel)

School of Visual Concepts • Seattle, WA
February 23, 2009
Topic: Identity Design Workshop

Yakima Ad Federation • Yakima, WA
January 21, 2009
Topic: Identity Crisis!
Workshop: Identity Design Insights

Create Chaos Conference • Orlando, FL
October 13, 2008
Topic: Tooting Your Own Horn

2008 Creative Freelancer Conference • Chicago, IL
August 27-29, 2008
Topic: Reaping the Rewards of Creative Independence
Roundtable: Social networking as a marketing tool

APNBA Business District Association Conference
Portland, OR • June 12, 2008
Topic: Projecting a professional association image

2008 HOW Design Conference • Boston, MA
May 18-21, 2008
Topic: Planning, Packaging & Promoting Yourself as the Product

Self-Employed Creative Professionals • Portland, OR
May 15, 2008
Topic: Harnessing the Power of Online Social Networks (Panel)

Art Institute of Portland • Portland, OR
February 28, 2008
Topic: Identity Crisis!

AIGA Oklahoma • Oklahoma City, OK
January 24, 2008
Topic: Tooting your own horn

Oklahoma Christian University • Oklahoma City, OK
January 24, 2008
Topic: Designing in your underwear - life as a home-based independent designer

Southern Nazarene University • Oklahoma City, OK
January 24, 2008
Topic: Designing in your underwear - life as a home-based independent designer

St. Johns Booksellers • Portland, OR
November 8, 2007
Topic: The identity crises of North Portland businesses - book signing

Business Outreach Program
Portland State University • Portland, OR
November 5, 2007
Topic: Identity design as a business marketing tool

Art Beat Week • Portland Community College • Portland, OR
May 7, 2007
Topic: Designing in your underwear - life as a home-based independent designer

Spokane Falls Community College/
Eastern Washington University • Spokane, WA
May 3, 2006
Topic: Designing in your underwear - life as a home-based independent designer

Spokane Advertising Federation
Northwest Museum of Art & Culture • Spokane, WA
May 3, 2006
Topic: Tooting your own horn

University & College Designers Association Conference
San Diego, CA • September 17 - 20, 2005
Topic: Tooting your own horn from the in-house design department

2005 HOW Design Conference • Chicago, IL
June 12-15
Topic: Tooting your own horn

Art Institute of Portland • Portland, OR
May 19, 2005
Topic: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success

2004 HOW Design Conference • San Diego, CA
May 16-19, 2004
Topic: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success
Topic: The Limitlessness of the Long-Distance Designer

McNary High School • Art Careers Program • Salem, OR
Topic: Art as a viable career option

Creative Bloc 5 • Waterloo, IA
March 5, 2004
Topic: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success
Topic: A Designer User’s Manual

City College of San Francisco • San Francisco, CA
April 21, 2004
Topic: Professional graphic design business practices

2003 HOW Design Conference • New Orleans, LA
June 5-8, 2003
Topic: Designers in handcuffs (panel discussion)

Association of Northwest Landscape Designers • Regional Conference • Portland, OR
January 2002
Topic: Graphic design and low-cost marketing solutions for small businesses

Tualatin Chamber of Commerce • Tualatin, OR
November 2001
Topic: Graphic design as a small business marketing tool

SBA/Small Business Development Centers Educators • Portland, OR
January 2000
Topic: Working with graphic designers in creating small business identities and promotions

Canby Union High School • Canby, OR
Topic: Graphic design as a career

Oregon Columbia IABC • Portland State University • Portland, OR
Topic: Profitable PR for non-profit groups

All of the following competition or book submission deadlines present great opportunities to showcase your design efforts, market your work on an international scale through the published books, and "toot!" your own horn to clients, peers and the media:

Graphis Annual Reports 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 28 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis New Talent Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 28 June 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline: 1 July 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

American Graphic Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 9 July 2010
Entry fees charged

Summit Marketing Effectiveness Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline Extended: 9 July 2010
Entry fees charged

Print Student Cover Competition
(Print Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 July 2010
No entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 July 2010
Late Deadline: 2 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

The Design Activist’s Handbook
(HOW Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 16 July 2010
No entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competitions
(University and College Designers Assn.
- USA)
Deadline Extended: 16 July 2010
Entry fees charged

London International Awards
(London International Awards - UK)
Deadline Extended: 19 July 2010
Entry fees charged

Basic Brochures
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline Extended: 30 July 2010
No entry fees charged

Trademarks USA
(American Pixel Academy - USA)
Deadline: 31 July 2010
Entry fees charged

Inside the World of Board Graphics
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 31 July 2010
No entry fees charged

International Wine Label Design Competition
(IWLDC - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 August 2010
Entry fees charged

TypeCon: TypeGallery2010
(Society of Typographic Aficionados - USA)
Deadline: 5 August 2010
Entry fees charged

TypeCon: 2010 Poster Show
(Society of Typographic Aficionados - USA)
Deadline: 5 August 2010
No entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives 49
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 9 August 2010
Entry fees charged

Letterhead & Logo Design 12
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 12 August 2010
No entry fees charged

W3 Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 13 August 2010
Entry fees charged

Creativity Print Awards
(Creativity Awards - USA)
Deadline: 13 August 2010
Late Deadline: 27 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Letterpool - London
(Letterpool - UK)
Deadline: 20 August 2010
No entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season One Deadline: 31 August 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2010
Late Deadline: 15 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

1000: A Steampunk Collection
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 10 September 2010
Late Deadline: 24 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Summit Emerging Media Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 22 September 2010
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 3
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 8 October 2010
Late Deadline: 22 October 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Print Creativity + Commerce Competition
(Print Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 October 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW Poster Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 October 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW Logo Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 October 2010
Entry fees charged

Hiiiband International Logo Award 2010
(New Graphic - China)
Deadline: 31 October 2010
No entry fees charged

Graphis Poster Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 29 November 2010
Entry fees charged

Logo Nest
(Logo Nest - International)
Deadline: 31 December 2010
No entry fees charged

Graphis Design Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 10 January 2011
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 24 January 2011
Entry fees charged

100 Best in Advertising 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 February 2011
Entry fees charged

100 Best in Photography 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 9 May 2011
Entry fees charged

100 Best in Annual Reports
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 13 June 2012
Entry fees charged

Graphis New Talent Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 13 June 2012
Entry fees charged

PAPERWORKS Letterhead Contest
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing - judged quarterly
No entry fees charged

PAPERWORKS Text And Cover Contest
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing - judged quarterly
No entry fees charged

(To make sure you are reading the latest bLog-oMotives design competition update click here.)

You may want to read my article about participating in design industry competitions and calls for book submissions: A collection of design competition - and book submission request - tips, tricks and observations.

A design competition calendar is also available at Icograda. Lürzer's ARCHIVE has an impressive online list of competitions sponsored by international magazines and organizations. Dexinger posts competitions of great value to industry professionals - however designers need to be aware that some of the listings are for "spec" work as a requirement for submission. Requests for new, or speculative, work as a condition of entering a "contest" are much different than legitimate design competition "calls for entries," in which previously created works are judged for possible awards, exhibition, or publication in an annual or other book.

My own work appears in over 130 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

This year HOW Magazine sponsored the first HOW Logo Design Awards competition. I was honored to be asked to judge the magazine's first event of this kind.

Over 800 student and professional identity designs were submitted to the competition. It would be my responsibility to choose ten logos to be honored. Thankfully, the Editors and staff of HOW Magazine initially reviewed and selected about 350 logos for me to judge personally. The winning designs have been announced and posted on the HOW website.

Here's a bit of a recap, with my brief comments:

• Hayneedle (Design by: Lippincott - USA) - "Simplicity at its best—in type treatment and graphic elements."

• Thomas & Gray (Design by: 22squared - USA) - "Hitting the mark in creating a logo meant to convey 'distinction, tradition and timeless elegance.'”

• Dirty Ice Cream (Design by: Dirty Ice Cream Design - Phillipines) - "A beautifully executed, retro type treatment that beckons the viewer deeper into the design."

• Thomas & Gray (Design by: Willoughby Design - USA) - "A major player in identity design shows how it's done—all while taking a chance on a non-traditional logo treatment to represent itself."

• New Sheridan Hotel (Design by: Urban Influence - USA) - "The history, culture and Western sophistication of Telluride, CO, are communicated in a crisp, modern presentation."

• Airplot (Design by: Airside - UK) - "This is a unique and intriguing, modular logo that allows for multiple uses and adaptations as needed."

• Lan Su Chinese Garden (Design by: Sockeye Creative - USA) - "This is an eye-catching, designerly twist on traditional Chinese imagery."

• Bronx Zoo Student Project (Design by: Carrie Madigan - USA) - "Inviting child-like imagery is in this logo, but there’s much more to be seen when taking a second look."

• Michael Bach Gastroenterologists (Design by: Josef Stapel Design - Germany) - "Never has the human digestive system been portrayed so elegantly—very clever letterform play."

• Renaud Merle (Blackbird) (Design by: Renaud Merle - France) - "A graphic smile delivered through two “r” letterforms creating a subliminal “m” with the extra treat of a fun blackbird image."

In addition, I wrote: "Over all, I was very pleased with the originality, execution and attention to detail exhibited in the hundreds of logos reviewed. Many designers submitted excellent showcase pieces that successfully conveyed their illustration talents, design skills and type treatment expertise.

"If I have any general criticisms, they are that a number identity designers need to break away from following current trends to create logos that may have greater longevity as an identifying symbol. And as entrants were given the opportunity, a short description or explanation of the logo submissions would have been very helpful as a judging tool for quite a few examples.

"Three of the final logos selected caught my eye on my very first review of all of the submissions. Narrowing the entries down to 100 logos was difficult; to 50 a real challenge; and to 20 was nearly impossible. I feel the 10 final logos selected represent the best of the best. After making my final selections, I was pleased to learn that five countries, large and small firms, and a student designer were represented.”

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Toots Caboose, the alter ego of designer and author Jeff Fisher - the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives has started his second season as a member of the Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps for the Portland Rose Festival. Last year Toots emerged from clown school and made quite an impression at official Rose Festival events.

Toots Caboose in front of SP 4449 - “World's Most Famous Steam Locomotive.”

In some 2010 pre-festival duties Toots assisted in recruiting new members of the Clown Corps with appearances on KGW Newschannel 8 at Sunrise with Drewbo (KGW reporter Drew Carney) and a gaggle of Clown Corps pals; and KATU's AM Northwest program with Bango (KATU reporter Janice Bangs), Dolly, and Angel.

Al Baker, of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, with Toots and Portland's National Train Day event.

Once again, Toots Caboose and members of the Character Clown Corps livened things up at the recent National Train Day festivities at Portland's historic Union Station. At the request of Amtrak Cascades officials, Toots was an official tour guide on their custom-built Talgo train.

Toots, with with Judy Hall of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, hard at work giving Talgo train tours.

There are sure to be upcoming sightings of Toots Caboose and the Character Clown Corp troupe at the upcoming events:

• Fred Meyer Junior Rose Parade: The oldest and largest children's parade in the United States will be held on Wednesday, June 9th.

• Key Bank Grand Floral Parade: The Grand Floral Parade is Saturday, June 12th. In 2009, nearly 500,000 people lined the streets of downtown Portland to view the event.

For more photos of the 2010 Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corp activities, check out this gallery of images

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

This year HOW Magazine sponsored the first HOW Logo Design Awards competition. I was honored to be asked to judge the magazine's first event of this kind.

Over 800 student and professional identity designs were submitted to the competition. It would be my responsibility to choose ten logos to be honored. Thankfully, the Editors and staff of HOW Magazine initially reviewed and selected about 350 logos for me to judge personally. The winning designs have been announced and posted on the HOW website.

Here's a bit of a recap, with my brief comments:

• Hayneedle (Design by: Lippincott - USA) - "Simplicity at its best—in type treatment and graphic elements."

• Thomas & Gray (Design by: 22squared - USA) - "Hitting the mark in creating a logo meant to convey 'distinction, tradition and timeless elegance.'”

• Dirty Ice Cream (Design by: Dirty Ice Cream Design - Phillipines) - "A beautifully executed, retro type treatment that beckons the viewer deeper into the design."

• Thomas & Gray (Design by: Willoughby Design - USA) - "A major player in identity design shows how it's done—all while taking a chance on a non-traditional logo treatment to represent itself."

• New Sheridan Hotel (Design by: Urban Influence - USA) - "The history, culture and Western sophistication of Telluride, CO, are communicated in a crisp, modern presentation."

• Airplot (Design by: Airside - UK) - "This is a unique and intriguing, modular logo that allows for multiple uses and adaptations as needed."

• Lan Su Chinese Garden (Design by: Sockeye Creative - USA) - "This is an eye-catching, designerly twist on traditional Chinese imagery."

• Bronx Zoo Student Project (Design by: Carrie Madigan - USA) - "Inviting child-like imagery is in this logo, but there’s much more to be seen when taking a second look."

• Michael Bach Gastroenterologists (Design by: Josef Stapel Design - Germany) - "Never has the human digestive system been portrayed so elegantly—very clever letterform play."

• Renaud Merle (Blackbird) (Design by: Renaud Merle - France) - "A graphic smile delivered through two “r” letterforms creating a subliminal “m” with the extra treat of a fun blackbird image."

In addition, I wrote: "Over all, I was very pleased with the originality, execution and attention to detail exhibited in the hundreds of logos reviewed. Many designers submitted excellent showcase pieces that successfully conveyed their illustration talents, design skills and type treatment expertise.

"If I have any general criticisms, they are that a number identity designers need to break away from following current trends to create logos that may have greater longevity as an identifying symbol. And as entrants were given the opportunity, a short description or explanation of the logo submissions would have been very helpful as a judging tool for quite a few examples.

"Three of the final logos selected caught my eye on my very first review of all of the submissions. Narrowing the entries down to 100 logos was difficult; to 50 a real challenge; and to 20 was nearly impossible. I feel the 10 final logos selected represent the best of the best. After making my final selections, I was pleased to learn that five countries, large and small firms, and a student designer were represented.”

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

It was very appropriate that the date 05.05.10 signified the 20th anniversary of the relationship of Jeff Fisher and Ed Cunningham. To celebrate the occasion, as a surprise to Ed, I put together a Flickr album of photo images documenting the past two decades.

Friends are encouraged to send any additional archived photos to either of us. We appreciate those contributions that are already included in the gallery.

It had been our hope to spend some time this fall in France to celebrate the milestone. However, it's just not the right time - financially and otherwise - to spend several weeks in in Paris and the South of France. It was great to recognize the date while in Boston, with a wonderful outdoor dinner, at the incredible Petit Robert Bistro. Thanks to our friend mary for the restaurant recommendation - and to Lisa and Bev for having the bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne delivered to our table.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

It has been a less than ideal spring in the Pacific Northwest - especially if you are a gardener. Playing in the dirt of my garden is a favorite source of therapy and inspiration. With the recent cold, rain and cloudy days, the garden is not flourishing as in past years.

Our garden did get off to a good start this spring. While we were on vacation in St. Croix in March, a crew from Joy Creek Nursery spent two days cleaning things up, removing plants damaged by the winter storms of the past two years and pruning the pink dogwood behind our home. I did have a blank slate for moving some plants around and the addition of many new items.

While things are a bit behind the usual season - and much wetter - there has still been a lot of color in the garden. As plants have poked through the soil, come into bloom or been added to the beds, I have contibuted photos to my 2010 Flickr gallery of garden images.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

All of the following competition or book submission deadlines present great opportunities to showcase your design efforts, market your work on an international scale through the published books, and "toot!" your own horn to clients, peers and the media:

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Late Deadline: 28 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Late Deadline: 28 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

The Best of Cover Design
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 28 May 2010
No entry fees charged

My Own Business Card, Volume Two
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Just Sit! Chairs and Stools Design
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Best Organic Packaging, Volume One
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Out of the Closet/Into the Street Poster Exhibit
(Center for the Study of Political Graphics - USA)
Deadline: 1 June 2010
No entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 7 June 2010
Entry fees charged

"Non-Traditional" Advertising and Design
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 9 June 2010
Entry fees charged

American Graphic Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 10 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis Annual Reports 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis New Talent Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Coupe International Design and Image Competition
(Coupe Magazine - Canada)
Deadline: 16 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Summit Marketing Effectiveness Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 23 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Print Student Cover Competition
(Print Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2010
No entry fees charged

Basic Brochures
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 30 June 2010
No entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline: 1 July 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competitions
(University and College Designers Assn.
- USA)
Deadline: 9 July 2010
Entry fees charged

International Wine Label Design Competition
(IWLDC - USA)
Deadline: 15 July 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 July 2010
Late Deadline: 2 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Trademarks USA
(American Pixel Academy - USA)
Deadline: 31 July 2010
Entry fees charged

Creativity Print Awards
(Creativity Awards - USA)
Submissions accepted 1 June 2010
Deadline: 13 August 2010
Late Deadline: 27 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Letterpool - London
(Letterpool - UK)
Deadline: 20 August 2010
No entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season One Deadline: 31 August 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2010
Late Deadline: 15 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 10 September 2010
Late Deadline: 24 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Summit Emerging Media Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 22 September 2010
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 3
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 8 October 2010
Late Deadline: 22 October 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Hiiiband International Logo Award 2010
(New Graphic - China)
Deadline: 31 October 2010
No entry fees charged

Logo Nest
(Logo Nest - International)
Deadline: 31 December 2010
No entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 24 January 2011
Entry fees charged

PAPERWORKS Letterhead Contest
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing - judged quarterly
No entry fees charged

PAPERWORKS Text And Cover Contest
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing - judged quarterly
No entry fees charged

(To make sure you are reading the latest bLog-oMotives design competition update click here.)

You may want to read my article about participating in design industry competitions and calls for book submissions: A collection of design competition - and book submission request - tips, tricks and observations.

A design competition calendar is also available at Icograda. Lürzer's ARCHIVE has an impressive online list of competitions sponsored by international magazines and organizations. Dexinger posts competitions of great value to industry professionals - however designers need to be aware that some of the listings are for "spec" work as a requirement for submission. Requests for new, or speculative, work as a condition of entering a "contest" are much different than legitimate design competition "calls for entries," in which previously created works are judged for possible awards, exhibition, or publication in an annual or other book.

My own work appears in over 130 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

The Stumptown Clowns identity, by Jeff Fisher - Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - has been recognized with Silver honors in the Summit Creative Awards. The awards honor and celebrate the creative accomplishments of small and medium sized advertising agencies and other creative companies throughout the world with annual billings of under $25 million. Thousands of entries, from 25 countries, were submitted for consideration this year. Since 1998, Fisher has received 18 of the Summit Creative Awards honors, in a variety of categories.

After attending Clown School in 2009, and becoming a member of the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps, the designer and several clown pals opted to form the Stumptown Clowns troupe for non-festival public appearances. When the name was adopted, Fisher immediately visualized a graphic clown face within the needed letterforms.

Judges for the 2010 Summit Creative Award were from both large and small-size companies including J. Walter Thompson USA, Inc.; Promoseven McCann Relationship Marketing; Pixel & Co.; Bates Ukraine; Wieden & Kennedy; Hal Riney and Partners; Strategy & Beyond, Turner Studios; Grey Advertising; MWW/Savitt; TBWA/Chiat/Day; Young and Rubicam; Leo Burnett; NYU; Turner Studios; Mfx, Inc.; Ogilvy; XM; and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Earlier this year the Stumptown Clowns logo received an American Graphic Design and Advertising Award.

Fisher, a 32-year design industry veteran, is the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. He is currently writing the book Logo Type, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release in 2011.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 140 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

(Clockwise from upper left)

The Sentinel
Client: The Sentinel
Location: Portland, OR USA

A logo redesign for a monthly North Portland neighborhood newspaper involved combining letterforms from two typefaces, Boca Raton and Rockwell, to create a unique type treatment of the word "Sentinel." A third typeface, Helvetica Neue, was introduced for the line of location text. The design appears in the book American Graphic Design & Advertising 25.

Read more about the redesign of The Sentinel identity.

Chorus Quarterly
Client: Seattle Men's Chorus
Location: Seattle WA USA

Following my design of the logo for the Seattle Men's Chorus, I created the identity and format for the organization's quarterly membership publication, CQ. Bodoni FB Bold Condensed was used for the large letters, with some customization on the "Q." The name was spelled out in Avant Garde.

Just Out
Client: Just Out Newsmagazine
Location: Portland, OR USA

The redesign of the identity for this statewide newsmagazine, for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities, gave the publication a fresh, contemporary look. The type used was Gill Sans. The logo won an American Corporate Identity 22 award. It also appears in The Big Book of Logos 5, 100's Visual Logos and Letterheads and Basic Logos (Spain).

Read more about the Just Out logo.

Multnomah Monthly Magazine
Client: Multnomah Monthly Magazine
Location: Portland, OR USA

The typefaces Italia and Souvenir Outline were used in the early 1980's to create the identity for this art and literary publication. Dry transfer lettering was used at the time.

All logo designs © 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. All rights reserved.

[Over the 30+ years I've worked professionally as a designer, interesting side stories have come up about my identity designs. This is one of an ongoing series of "Logodotes" - anecdotes about my logo designs.]

Jane Winks Kilkenny passed away, at the age of 98, in December 2009. For nearly five decades she managed the day-to-day operations of a Portland institution W.C. Winks Hardware. I first met her in 1996, following her retirement, when daughter Anne Kilkenny hired me to design an identity for the business, which had been without a logo throughout its previous 87-year-old history. In one of our early interactions, Mrs. Kilkenny bluntly informed me that she didn't like the new logo at all.

W.C. Winks Hardware was established in 1909 by William Caldwell Winks and his daughter Jane stepped in to run the business upon his death in 1945. In 1996, his grand-daughter Anne Kilkenny provided me with one of the few existing photos of the founder (above left) as a possible centerpiece for the first logo for the hardware store.

In designing the symbol I hoped to convey a historical perspective for the retail establishment. Making use of ovals with banners, to showcase a stylized representation of Winks, graphically hinted at the turn-of-the-century founding of the business. The typefaces Horndon, Copperplate Gothic 33 and Copperplate Gothic 31 added to conveying a look of the time.

When the finished logo (above right) was presented to Anne Kilkenny, she was very pleased, and told me "it looks like the logo that would have represented the store when it opened in 1909." Shortly thereafter, at the Winks Hardware annual holiday party for customers and staff, Jane Winks Kilkenny told me, "I don't like the logo at all; it doesn't look anything like my father."

In 2001, Winks Hardware moved from its long-time Pearl District location to a much larger building in the city's Central Eastside Industrial District. The logo was prominently displayed on the front of the building as signage. Anne Kilkenny and her husband Jon Naviaux drove her mother by to see the completed new location of W.C. Winks Hardware. "The logo looks really good," was her first comment.

The W.C. Winks Hardware logo became an element of an anniversary image in 2009 when the store celebrated 100 years in operation (above).

Since its introduction the Winks Hardware logo has appeared in the books American Corporate Identity/14, New Business Card Graphics 2 (Japan), Letterhead and Logo Design 7, Graphically Speaking, LogoLounge - Volume 1, Logo Design for Small Business 2, Logos from North to South America (Spain), 1000 Retail Graphics and The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is cited as an expert in the new book Design Matters: Portfolios 01: An Essential Primer for Today's Competitive Market. The volume, released by Rockport Publishers, was written by Maura Keller of Keller Ink.

Design Matters: Portfolios 01 defines the core elements of self-promotion and portfolio creation and provides the insights graphic designers need to showcase their work in unique and creative ways. Case studies demonstrate the different techniques designers use to create successful portfolios for different audiences and measure the results of those efforts. The book also details how often portfolios should be updated and distributed and determine workable budgets to produce a great portfolio.

Fisher offers recommendations for portfolio creation and presentation in a book contribution titled "Portfolio Must Haves: Knowing when to stop and when to go." His expertise is recognized as the author of The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career, now available in a PDF format on CD from publisher HOW Books.

In addition to freelance writing for more than 50 publications for the past 10 years, author Maura Keller was a marketing communications writer for the award-winning design firm, Yamamoto Moss in Minneapolis. She has also written extensively on marketing and business-related topics for regional and national consumer and trade publications.

Fisher, a 32-year design industry veteran, is also the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands. He is currently writing the book Logo Type, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release in 2011.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 140 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Recently, I took another look at a fantastic gift I received from Liz and Nena, the co-owners of St. Johns Booksellers and hosts of the 2007 Portland book-signing for the release of my book Identity Crisis! Their store sells new and used books - and they are always having a wide variety of books - from estates, house cleanings and other sources - being added to their inventory.

Among books coming into the establishment was a copy of the 1916 book Trademark Power: An Expedition into an Unprobed and Inviting Wilderness by Glen Buck. The volume, published 94 years ago by Munroe & Southworth in Chicago, even contained its original sales sheet of promotional blurbs (below left); with the notice that the volume was "Not for sale at book stores. One dollar a copy." The shop owners both immediately felt the book would be the perfect gift for me.

Considering the age of the book, it is incredible to see so many recognizable brands and identities. Of course, some have suffered their own identity crises and evolved over time. Still, Heinz, Western Union, Nabisco, Sherwin Williams, Dutch Cleanser, Yale Locks, RCA, Paramount Pictures, Dutch Boy Paints, Lysol, Log Cabin Syrup, Firestone Tires, Eagle Brand, and many other identities appear throughout Trademark Power (one page of examples is displayed below right). There are also many logo examples for firms that have disappeared over the past century.

Chapter 32 of the book covers what constitutes a good trademark - and things to be avoided when designing the identity to be trademarked. The author's list of things which may be avoided is as follows:

First - Common and familiar forms do usually make good trademarks, for they lack distinction. The circle, the square, the crescent, the star, the diamond. the heart, the oval, the shield, the cross, all have long ago been usurped and are burdened with significances.

Second - If one is anxious to aquire legal title to a trademark her will not have it resemble any other trademark, nor will he put in it any descriptive phrase or name.

Third - Flags and emblems of all nations, the established devices of societies, associations and institutions should be avoided as not legally usable or protectible.

Fourth - Complicated and confused pictures or devices do not make good trademarks, because they cannot be seen and comprehended at a glance. As they lack simplicity they lack strength.

Fifth - A good trademark will not depend upon any color arrangement for its effect, at it will undoubtedly be necessary to reproduce it in many places where color cannot be used.

Sixth - It is advisable to avoid designs that are higher than they are wide. A "tall" trademark is often difficult to fit into attractive and harmonious layouts.

Seventh - A trademark should be capable of reproduction in all engraving processes, by zincs, half-tones, and the different offset and lithographic methods, that it may be well printed on all kinds of paper and other printable materials.

Eighth - If the trademark is not as simple as it can be made, and carefully proportioned in all its parts, it may be impossible to reduce it to small sizes without losing the design, or to increase it to large sizes without rendering it ugly.

Ninth - Care should be taken to evolve a design that will not print too black or too light, for undoubtedly it will be used with many styles of lettering and kinds of type faces.

Tenth - Designs that have only a temporary significance should be discarded. They may be meaningless, absurd, or quite impossible of use tomorrow.

Eleventh - That which is vulgar, repulsive, or ugly will never make a good trademark. Also one should be extremely cautious in the use of comic motifs.

Twelfth - It will save expense and trouble, and perhaps prevent disappointment, if the work of designing the trademark is put into trained and understanding hands. It is work that can't be hurriedly done in an idle moment by one who has not conception of the importance of the task.

This advice is nearly a century old and, with all the advancements in the design industry and technology over that period of time, it is surprising that most of the recommendations are still very valid for today's identity designers.

In closing his book, author Buck writes:

The new manufacturer who does not bring into being a good trademark at the time his venture is launched, even though it may not at once be conspicuously used, is neglecting a real opportunity to add to his tangible assets.

And the established manufacturer who has not now a good trademark stands in pressing need of one.

The trademark is not a panacea for every business ill. But it is a fundamentally important part of the business equipment that is to serve efficiently in the new order.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

The Stumptown Clowns identity, by Jeff Fisher - Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - has been recognized with Silver honors in the Summit Creative Awards. The awards honor and celebrate the creative accomplishments of small and medium sized advertising agencies and other creative companies throughout the world with annual billings of under $25 million. Thousands of entries, from 25 countries, were submitted for consideration this year. Since 1998, Fisher has received 18 of the Summit Creative Awards honors, in a variety of categories.

After attending Clown School in 2009, and becoming a member of the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps, the designer and several clown pals opted to form the Stumptown Clowns troupe for non-festival public appearances. When the name was adopted, Fisher immediately visualized a graphic clown face within the needed letterforms.

Judges for the 2010 Summit Creative Award were from both large and small-size companies including J. Walter Thompson USA, Inc.; Promoseven McCann Relationship Marketing; Pixel & Co.; Bates Ukraine; Wieden & Kennedy; Hal Riney and Partners; Strategy & Beyond, Turner Studios; Grey Advertising; MWW/Savitt; TBWA/Chiat/Day; Young and Rubicam; Leo Burnett; NYU; Turner Studios; Mfx, Inc.; Ogilvy; XM; and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Earlier this year the Stumptown Clowns logo received an American Graphic Design and Advertising Award.

Fisher, a 32-year design industry veteran, is the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. He is currently writing the book Logo Type, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release in 2011.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 140 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

[One of my most popular bLog-oMotives entries the past two summer did not feature a graphic design topic. Instead it involved a garden design project. At the time, my instructions for a flower pot patio umbrella stand ended up on the homepage of Apartment Therapy. Then it was mentioned on the blog Life on the Balcony, resulting in a lot of traffic coming my way. Google searches are now bringing a lot of readers to my instructions for this project. I've also had several email requests for the information - so, here it is again.]

My increasingly gorgeous North Portland garden does need some urgent care this week. Things are growing out of control and I hope to take advantage of some "garden therapy" several times in the next few days. Funny, since LeAnn Locher wrote about my garden in Just Out this past month, quite a few people have been inviting themselves over for viewings. (LeAnn recently posted some additional photos on her Flickr page.) We've also been enjoying numerous dinners with friends out on the backyard patio.

Until quite recently I had paid little attention to the tumbled paver patio in front of the house. Initially created to eliminate the last patch of lawn in our garden, the patio had remained empty for almost a year. One of the ideal aspects of the patio space is that it is completely private from the street due to the growth of the plantings behind a curved retaining wall. In fact, walkers passing by on the sidewalk below, while commenting on the garden, most often are unaware I am up on the higher portion of the front yard.

I knew I wanted a couple somewhat traditional Adirondack chairs and a small table for the outdoor room. I also felt a garden umbrella was needed to shade the seating area in the mid-afternoon when hot, direct sunlight was a factor. Still, I didn't want your average, clunky umbrella stand in my front patio decor. When I came across some large pottery flower pots I knew I had my umbrella stand solution - I just needed to wait for the pots to go on sale. I couldn't possibly pay retail. I hate to pay retail.

A couple weeks later the pot I had my eye on went on clearance - and I had an additional 20% off coupon. My umbrella stand project could begin.

The materials needed for one flower pot umbrella stand (shown above right) are:

• 1 large, heavy flower pot - a minimum of 18" to 24" tall

• 1 piece of 2 inch PVC plumbing pipe - cut 2 inches shorter than the depth of the flower pot

• 1 metal plumbing flange to fit 2 inch pipe

• 1 transitional "screw-on thingy" to add to the flange allowing for the PVC pipe to fit into flange

• Rocks, gravel or crushed concrete - enough to fill flower pot to about 6 inches below lip of pot

• Potted annuals or perennials in 6 inch pots - enough to circle around top of large flower pot

• Metal peg or nail (optional)

The tools needed include:

• a tape measure

• a hacksaw (to cut the PVD pipe)

• an electric drill (optional)

Measure the depth of the large flower pot and subtract two inches. This will give you the length needed to cut the PVC pipe with the hacksaw. Screw the transitional "thingy" onto the flange, place the PVC pipe into the transitional "thingy" and place the combined pieces into the large flower pot (as shown above in the second panel from the left)

(As an optional step, I then measured 2 inches down from what would be the top of the exposed pipe and drilled a hole through both sides of the pipe. I placed the umbrella pole into the pipe, marked the location of the holes in the pipe and drilled a hole of the same size through the umbrella pole. This will allow me to slip a metal peg, or large nail, through the pipe and pole to prevent the umbrella from possibly taking flight in a strong wind.)

I then began to fill the flower pot with some crushed concrete - remnants of our past deck backyard deck project. With about 4-5 inches of concrete in the pot I repositioned the pipe/flange contraption so it was centered (above, center photo). I then continued to fill the pot with crushed concrete until I had reached a level about 6 inches from the lip of the flower pot. (above, second photo from right).

After leveling out the crushed concrete in the flower pot I placed seven 6 inch pots of flowers and vegetation in the large flower part and around the pole (above, far right). My flowering garden umbrella stand was complete. All I had to do was place the umbrella in the stand and arrange the rest of my garden furniture (below).

I purchased the Adirondack chairs, small table and umbrella on clearance, with a 10% off total purchase coupon from Cost Plus World Market. All the plumbing pieces used to make the stand came from a nearby Lowe's, but could probably be found at any hardware store. The large flower pot, as well as the smaller one and all the plants, were purchased on clearance - with additional coupon discounts - at a neighborhood store. My entire new patio decor project cost me just under $300.

I have enjoyed sitting out on the patio, working on my PowerBook, listening to the garden critiques from unsuspecting passersby.

Note: You might also want to check out my copper and bronze hose guard and copper pipe garden trellis projects.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

[Over the 30+ years I've worked professionally as a designer, interesting side stories have come up about my identity designs. This is one of an ongoing series of "Logodotes" - anecdotes about my logo designs.]

Jane Winks Kilkenny passed away, at the age of 98, in December 2009. For nearly five decades she managed the day-to-day operations of a Portland institution W.C. Winks Hardware. I first met her in 1996, following her retirement, when daughter Anne Kilkenny hired me to design an identity for the business, which had been without a logo throughout its previous 87-year-old history. In one of our early interactions, Mrs. Kilkenny bluntly informed me that she didn't like the new logo at all.

W.C. Winks Hardware was established in 1909 by William Caldwell Winks and his daughter Jane stepped in to run the business upon his death in 1945. In 1996, his grand-daughter Anne Kilkenny provided me with one of the few existing photos of the founder (above left) as a possible centerpiece for the first logo for the hardware store.

In designing the symbol I hoped to convey a historical perspective for the retail establishment. Making use of ovals with banners, to showcase a stylized representation of Winks, graphically hinted at the turn-of-the-century founding of the business. The typefaces Horndon, Copperplate Gothic 33 and Copperplate Gothic 31 added to conveying a look of the time.

When the finished logo (above right) was presented to Anne Kilkenny, she was very pleased, and told me "it looks like the logo that would have represented the store when it opened in 1909." Shortly thereafter, at the Winks Hardware annual holiday party for customers and staff, Jane Winks Kilkenny told me, "I don't like the logo at all; it doesn't look anything like my father."

In 2001, Winks Hardware moved from its long-time Pearl District location to a much larger building in the city's Central Eastside Industrial District. The logo was prominently displayed on the front of the building as signage. Anne Kilkenny and her husband Jon Naviaux drove her mother by to see the completed new location of W.C. Winks Hardware. "The logo looks really good," was her first comment.

The W.C. Winks Hardware logo became an element of an anniversary image in 2009 when the store celebrated 100 years in operation (above).

Since its introduction the Winks Hardware logo has appeared in the books American Corporate Identity/14, New Business Card Graphics 2 (Japan), Letterhead and Logo Design 7, Graphically Speaking, LogoLounge - Volume 1, Logo Design for Small Business 2, Logos from North to South America (Spain), 1000 Retail Graphics and The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is cited as an expert in the new book Design Matters: Portfolios 01: An Essential Primer for Today's Competitive Market. The volume, released by Rockport Publishers, was written by Maura Keller of Keller Ink.

Design Matters: Portfolios 01 defines the core elements of self-promotion and portfolio creation and provides the insights graphic designers need to showcase their work in unique and creative ways. Case studies demonstrate the different techniques designers use to create successful portfolios for different audiences and measure the results of those efforts. The book also details how often portfolios should be updated and distributed and determine workable budgets to produce a great portfolio.

Fisher offers recommendations for portfolio creation and presentation in a book contribution titled "Portfolio Must Haves: Knowing when to stop and when to go." His expertise is recognized as the author of The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career, now available in a PDF format on CD from publisher HOW Books.

In addition to freelance writing for more than 50 publications for the past 10 years, author Maura Keller was a marketing communications writer for the award-winning design firm, Yamamoto Moss in Minneapolis. She has also written extensively on marketing and business-related topics for regional and national consumer and trade publications.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

The renovation of our garden continues. When Joy Creek Nursery had to remove an old rhododendron from what will become an outdoor kitchen area, a beautiful purple clematis lost its natural trellis. The old rhody found a new home out in the Joy Creek gardens, after being the model for a pruning class. The clematis, and several other plants, sat above ground, basically bare root, for a couple months before finding new homes among the revised hardscape.

I couldn't find trellises that I liked for the clematis. Most cost several hundred dollars and had patterns I didn't really want incorporated into our gardenscape. I roughed out a design on my computer for a set of trellises to be made out of copper pipe. My partner, Ed, previously made an arbor in a similar manner several years ago when he was practicing his copper pipe work prior to re-plumbing our home.

The trellises were designed to be approximately five feet wide and stand a total of five feet above the surface of the garden bed.

The materials needed for one trellis are:

• 8 pieces of 1/2 inch copper pipe cut to 24 inch lengths (you will want to use the thickest 1/2 inch pipe for added strength)

• 8 pieces of 1/2 inch copper pipe cut to 20 inch lengths

• 2 pieces of 1/2 inch copper pipe cut to 12 inch lengths

• 2 copper corner joints for 1/2 inch pipe

• 10 copper "tee" joints for 1/2 pipe

• 2 pieces of 3/8 inch rebar cut to 4 foot lengths

• 1 piece 1/4 inch copper tubing 5 feet in length

• 2 small metal screws 1/2 to 5/8 inches in length

The tools needed include:

• a handheld pipe cutter (available at the hardware store)

• the necessary solder and soldering equipment

• steel wool, sandpaper or a tool made for roughing up the pipe surfaces to be joined

• a container of flux and the necessary brush for "painting" it on the copper tubing

• a pair of gloves with a non-skid palm surface for assistance in holding the pipe while it is being cut

I cut all the copper lengths. On the flat surface of my patio, I then prefit all the pieces together to make sure all were correct and my trellis was going to be square. Ed then help me rough up all services that were to be soldered, but flux on both surfaces to be joines and soldered the frame at each joint. (many home improvement websites and books have great detail about the soldering process.)

I then formed the 5 foot length of 1/4 copper tubing into a spiral shape to serve as the centerpiece design element of the trellis. Spirals and swirls are patterns that have been repeated throughout our home in light fixtures, switchplate covers, light fixtures, fabrics, glassware, eating/serving utensils, dishes, interior art, garden art and elsewhere. Where the tubing was to meet the frame, I crimped the tubing flat with plyers and then drilled a hole (just smaller than the selected screws) through the flattened tupping and the "tee" joint where the swirl would be joined to the frame. The swirl was then screwed tightly into place.

Two pieces of rebar were then stuck about 1 foot into the ground at the distance determined by the width of the finished trellis. The finished trellis end pieces, or legs, where then forced over the rebar and pushed down to ground level. The previously homeless clematis was then planted in front of the trellis and I wove the new growth through the copper trellis frame.

The process was then duplicated for a second matching trellis. The plants seem very happy with their new homes - and I have trellises that also serve as garden art. I was thrilled that the finished trellises cost about $50 a piece in materials - due in part to the fact we already had the soldering supplies in our personal tool library - and were only a project of a few hours.

Note: You might also want to check out my copper and bronze hose guard and flower pot patio umbrella stand projects.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

The newly released book For a Good Cause, coordinated and written by design firm Cactus Disseny, features an identity design by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. The designer's logo concept for the Cat Adoption Team (C.A.T.) appears in the volume from Spanish publisher Index Book.

For a Good Cause is a collection of the best socially conscious design from around the world. Index Book originally set out to produce a book of only pro bono projects, but later decided to expand the concept to any design done with a good cause in mind. The projects featured were created to show that it is possible to make a better, more beautiful world and simultaneously convey the message of a cause-focused business or organization.

The Cat Adoption Team design won a Silver Award in the Summit Creative Awards. It is featured in the books Killed Ideas, Vol. 1, Letterhead & Logo Design 11, Designing for the Greater Good: The Best in Cause-Related Marketing and Nonprofit Design and American Graphic Design & Advertising 25. The yet to be published LogoLounge Master Library Vol. 2, Logolicious and Logo Nest 01 (Australia) will include the design. The logo also appears in the textbook Perfect Match Art Primary 5, by Prisca Ko Hak Moi - a collaborative project of publisher Pearson Education South Asia and Ministry of Education Singapore.

Fisher, a 32-year design industry veteran, is the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. Fisher is currently writing a new volume, Logo Type: 200 Best Typographic Logos from Around the World Explained, about typography in identity design. It is scheduled for a 2011 release.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 130 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses.

Fisher serves on the HOW Magazine Board of Advisors, HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and Art Institute of Portland Professional Advisory Council, and is a past member of the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. The designer also writes for HOW Magazine, other industry publications, and many webzines and blogs. In addition, Fisher is a nationally-recognized speaker, making numerous presentations each year to design organizations, design schools, universities and business groups. Graphic Design USA magazine named Jeff Fisher one of the design industry “People to Watch” in 2009.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

(Clockwise from upper left)

Stumptown Clowns
Client: Stumptown Clowns
Location: Portland, OR USA

After I attended Clown School in 2009, a group of my classmates and I formed the clown troupe Stumptown Clowns. Immediately after the name was selected I envisioned the logo with a winking clown face within the letterforms. Winner of a 2010 American Graphic Design and Advertising Award. The design will appear in the book Logolicious.

Historic Kenton Firehouse Committee
Client: Historic Kenton Firehouse Committee
Location: Portland, OR USA

An image representing the historic Kenton Firehouse near my home in North Portland. It was short-listed in the Russian design competition Identity: Best of the Best 2010 and will appear in the book Logo Nest 01 (Australia - 2011).

Philandros
Client: Seattle Men's Chorus
Location: Seattle, WA USA

One of my favorite mid-career logos, designed in 1991 for the Philandros singers - a sub-group of the Seattle Men's Chorus. The logo appears in the book Bullet-Proof Logos: Creating Great Designs Which Avoid Legal Problems.

Seacoast AIDS Walk
Client: AIDS Response - Seacoast
Location: Portsmouth, NH USA

AIDS Response - Seacoast asked me to design a logo that could be used annually for their AIDS fundraising walk. The identity is featured in The Big Book of New Design Ideas, 100's Visual Logos and Letterheads and Logos from North to South America (Spain).

Check out additional Jeff Fisher LogoMotives non-profit logo designs.

All logo designs © 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. All rights reserved.

The newly-released book For a Good Cause, coordinated and written by design firm Cactus Disseny, features an identity design by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. The designer's logo concept for the Cat Adoption Team (C.A.T.) appears in the volume from Spanish publisher Index Book.

For a Good Cause is a collection of the best socially conscious design from around the world. Index Book originally set out to produce a book of only pro bono projects, but later decided to expand the concept to any design done with a good cause in mind. The projects featured were created to show that it is possible to make a better, more beautiful world and simultaneously convey the message of a cause-focused business or organization.

The Cat Adoption Team design won a Silver Award in the Summit Creative Awards. It is featured in the books Killed Ideas, Vol. 1, Letterhead & Logo Design 11, Designing for the Greater Good: The Best in Cause-Related Marketing and Nonprofit Design and American Graphic Design & Advertising 25. The yet to be published LogoLounge Master Library Vol. 2, Logolicious and Logo Nest 01 (Australia) will include the design. The logo also appears in the textbook Perfect Match Art Primary 5, by Prisca Ko Hak Moi - a collaborative project of publisher Pearson Education South Asia and Ministry of Education Singapore.

Fisher, a 32-year design industry veteran, is the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. Fisher is currently writing a new volume, Logo Type: 200 Best Typographic Logos from Around the World Explained, about typography in identity design. It is scheduled for a 2011 release.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 130 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses.

Fisher serves on the HOW Magazine Board of Advisors, HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and Art Institute of Portland Professional Advisory Council, and is a past member of the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. The designer also writes for HOW Magazine, other industry publications, and many webzines and blogs. In addition, Fisher is a nationally-recognized speaker, making numerous presentations each year to design organizations, design schools, universities and business groups. Graphic Design USA magazine named Jeff Fisher one of the design industry “People to Watch” in 2009.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

[Over the 30+ years I've worked professionally as a designer, interesting side stories have come up about my identity designs. This is one of an ongoing series of "Logodotes" - anecdotes about my logo designs.]

While in high school and college, in the 1970s, I created ink line drawings of historic Oregon architecture to be sold in galleries, and marketed as prints and notecards. I was often commissioned to execute illustrations of specific structures. At the University of Oregon, I was asked to produce such original art of many of the fraternity and sorority residences on campus. Within the fine detail of the drawings I would hide the Greek alphabet forms representative on my own fraternity, Sigma Chi.

Over the years, I have occasionally had the opportunity to hide similar graphic elements within some identity projects. One such effort was a logo created for a theatrical production of the show "Dishin' With Divine."

A designer does not often get the chance to create a logo featuring a infamous female impersonator such as Divine. The 1994 request to design the identity for the one-man show, written by my friend Don Horn, provided a great opportunity to possibly be playful with the image. I found the chance within the eye of the illustrative element of Divine's portrait. As my personal little "wink," the graphic element representing the reflection of the eye was created in the shape of a women's high heel shoe (above).

The fun with "Divine" didn't end with the logo design. T-shirts featuring the image were produced for the show. In designing the paper doll book Dressin' With Design, I got to art direct my college friend Tracy Hayes as she provided the illustrations for the item to be sold at performances. A set of paper doll refrigerator magnets, complimenting the book, was also produced as a marketing tool. Occasionally the collectible book and magnets may now be found on online auction sites.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

All of the following competition or book submission deadlines present great opportunities to showcase your design efforts, market your work on an international scale through the published books, and "toot!" your own horn to clients, peers and the media:

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline Extended: 9 April 2010
Entry fees charged

Golden Bee 9: Moscow International Biennale of Graphic Design
(Golden Bee - Russia)
Deadline: 15 April 2010
No entry fees charged

The Big Book of Packaging
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 16 April 2010
No entry fees charged
Publication fee charged for inclusion in book

PRINT Regional Design Annual
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline Extended: 15 April 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

American Web Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - GDUSA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 April 2010
Entry fees charged

Mediabistro Logo Awards
(Mediabistro - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 April 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis Photography Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 10 May 2010
Entry fees charged

ADC Young Guns 8
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 12 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Applied Arts Design & Advertising Awards
(Applied Arts Magazine - Canada)
Deadline Extended: 14 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Late Deadline: 28 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

2010 Pentawards Package Design Competition
(Pentawards - France)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Late Deadline: 21 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Late Deadline: 28 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

The Best of Cover Design
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives Competition
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 17 May 2010
Entry fees charged

The Best of Cover Design
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 28 May 2010
No entry fees charged

My Own Business Card, Volume Two
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Just Sit! Chairs and Stools Design
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Best Organic Packaging, Volume One
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

American Graphic Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 10 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis Annual Reports 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis New Talent Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Coupe International Design and Image Competition
(Coupe Magazine - Canada)
Deadline: 16 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Print Student Cover Competition
(Print Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2010
No entry fees charged

Basic Brochures
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 30 June 2010
No entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline: 1 July 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competitions
(University and College Designers Assn.
- USA)
Deadline: 9 July 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 July 2010
Late Deadline: 2 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Trademarks USA
(American Pixel Academy - USA)
Deadline: 31 July 2010
Entry fees charged

Creativity Print Awards
(Creativity Awards - USA)
Submissions accepted 1 June 2010
Deadline: 13 August 2010
Late Deadline: 27 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season One Deadline: 31 August 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2010
Late Deadline: 15 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 10 September 2010
Late Deadline: 24 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 3
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 8 October 2010
Late Deadline: 22 October 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Logo Nest
(Logo Nest - International)
Deadline: 31 December 2010
No entry fees charged

PAPERWORKS Letterhead Contest
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing - judged quarterly
No entry fees charged

PAPERWORKS Text And Cover Contest
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing - judged quarterly
No entry fees charged

(To make sure you are reading the latest bLog-oMotives design competition update click here.)

You may want to read my article about participating in design industry competitions and calls for book submissions: A collection of design competition - and book submission request - tips, tricks and observations.

A design competition calendar is also available at Icograda. Lürzer's ARCHIVE has an impressive online list of competitions sponsored by international magazines and organizations. Dexinger posts competitions of great value to industry professionals - however designers need to be aware that some of the listings are for "spec" work as a requirement for submission. Requests for new, or speculative, work as a condition of entering a "contest" are much different than legitimate design competition "calls for entries," in which previously created works are judged for possible awards, exhibition, or publication in an annual or other book.

My own work appears in over 130 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

[With spring gardening in full swing, for those not currently under water or still covered with snow, I've had several requests for information about my hose guide project. Here's a "rerun" of the original post. Happy gardening!]

One of my greatest passions, and best forms of therapy, outside of work is my garden. Although the entire garden is most often watered by a timer- operated irrigation and drip system, occasionally there is a need to do extra watering using the garden hose. I always hate to be dragging the hose across the driveway, sidewalk or patio and have it attempt to decapitate plants in the garden.

I've looked at various hose guides at garden stores and I'm just too cheap to pay what is asked. I'd heard of people making the guides using lengths of pipe with ornamental lamp finials on top. Again, most lamp finials I like are too expensive for me to use in such a manner. A few weeks ago at Lowe's I found some aged bronze swirl drawer pulls on sale for $1.28 a piece - and I'd discovered my hose guide ornaments. So, with a 37-cent copper cap, a $1.42 piece of rebar, and about $1.00 worth of copper pipe, I had my hose guide materials for just over $4.00.

The materials needed for one hose guard (shown above) are:

• 1 piece of 1/2 inch copper pipe cut to 10 inches in length

• 1 copper cap for 1/2 inch pipe

• 1 piece of 3/8 inch rebar cut to 24 inches in length

• 1 ornamental brass or bronze drawer pull

• 1 metal screw (comes with drawer pull)

The tools needed include:

• a tape measure

• a handheld pipe cutter (available at the hardware store)

• a hacksaw (to cut the rebar and screw)

• an electric drill

• the necessary solder and soldering equipment

• steel wool, sandpaper or a tool made for roughing up the pipe surfaces to be joined

• a container of flux and the necessary brush for "painting" it on the copper tubing

• a pair of gloves with a non-skid palm surface for assistance in holding the pipe while it is being cut

The project process was actually fairly simple. The most effort was required in cutting the rebar and copper pipe to the proper lengths. It was also necessary to cut the screw that came with the drawer pull to about half of its length.

I used an electric drill to create a hole in the copper cap to screw on the drawer pull. Once the drawer pull was tightly screwed onto the cap, Ed soldered the screw in place within the cap to prevent movement (you could super glue the screw in place if desired). He then soldered the copper cap to the 10-inch length of copper pipe (again, you could super glue it on for ease).

I then stuck the piece of rebar into the ground, at the corner of the flower bed, until 10 inches of the rebar was left above the surface. The copper pipe fit over the rebar and my "designer" hose guide was in place. In a little less than an hour I had three custom hose guides completed and installed in my garden.

Note: You might also want to check out my flower pot umbrella stand and copper pipe garden trellis projects.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives